


the only one who took the time

by tonishaught



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: 2x17, Canon Compliant, Cheryl Blossom Needs a Hug, Developing Relationship, Eventual Smut, F/F, First Love, Hurt/Comfort, Innocence, Multi, Protective Toni Topaz, Soft Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz, Teenagers, Toni Topaz Backstory, Toni Topaz Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-04-12 06:11:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19126204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tonishaught/pseuds/tonishaught
Summary: What if Veronica had gotten to Cheryl first? 2x17But Cheryl needs Toni.A smidge of AU that had been stuck in my head for ages and then a look into the what happens thereafter.This is to give Choni's relationship the development and detail it deserves as they navigate things like the reactions of their peers and deal with past traumas (instead of the unrealistic storylines we actually got) following 2x17.





	1. the first one

“Cheryl… is that you?” She shielded her eyes from the projector’s beams, recognising the unusually bare face four rows back.

“Ronnie-?” Cheryl croaked in disbelief as her face crumpled. Before she knew it, Veronica was knelt at her side, her pale hand clasped in her friend’s warm ones, but it didn’t bring her the comfort she needed. “How- I… how?”

Veronica loosened her grip and her worried expression upturned slightly as she answered, “Toni, Cheryl. Toni brought us to rescue you.” Cheryl’s stiff shoulders rose and fell, a depth of breath she hadn’t allowed herself in days. For once her hope wasn’t misplaced, the pink haired girl, the thought of whom had kept her sane, she cared. Toni cared.

The door swung open again, both girls’ heads snapping up to see a panting Toni standing in its wake. Her wide eyes immediately locked onto Cheryl’s, both brimming with tears of relief. And just like that her façade crumbled, a wave of the emotions she’d forced herself to suppress broke in a choked sob. And just as quickly as that wave crashed Toni was there, kind, caring, selfless Toni.

Cheryl felt two callused palms gently cradle her face and leant into them; despite herself, she needed to trust someone right now, and somehow, she knew she’d be safe in Toni’s hands. Knowing that with Toni she no longer had to hide, she allowed herself to break down. Her body shook and soon those hands were replaced with a warm chest that muffled her cries as two strong arms enveloped her body, one hand cradling the back of her head. Secure in Toni’s grip, Cheryl felt protected, for the first time in her life, Cheryl felt safe.

She clung fiercely to the serpent’s jacket, the symbolism of which she used to despise, and found solace from her panic in Toni’s soft whispers. “I’ve got you, you’re okay, you’re safe.” Toni repeated the words like a mantra and Cheryl latched onto them like a lifeline. “We’re getting you out of here, Cheryl, I promise. You’re safe now.” Soon enough her cries subsided into small whimpers, her nails retracted from tough leather and she let out a heavy sigh as her body finally stilled.

Veronica, having stepped away upon Toni’s arrival to act as lookout, watched the couple from afar. The connection between the two was undeniable and she almost felt like she was intruding, the redhead before her was entirely out of character, and yet Toni seemed to be all too familiar. Retrospectively, when she considered the desperation with which Toni had come to her when Cheryl had first gone missing, she realised that what she was seeing really shouldn’t shock her at all. Someone had finally cracked that cold exterior, and that someone was southside serpent Toni Topaz, like the purple coloured gemstone. She considered the idea not so absurd as one might think, that if anyone was going to break down those walls it would have to be someone strong enough to withstand their defences. Whilst this may be true, Cheryl’s walls needn’t have been broken by force, someone just had to take the time to see her and to really listen. This was something that Veronica would soon come to learn and regretfully feel guilty for, because as much as she had listened, she hadn’t truly seen the broken girl before her and so, she hadn’t taken the time to stay.

Toni pulled back from their embrace to rest their foreheads together. Cheryl blinked away her tears and rested her trembling hands on the girl’s sides whilst Toni’s returned to her cheeks, whose thumbs delicately brushed the wetness from her face as her eyelids fluttered at the sheer comfort she felt from the contact. Toni’s index finger traced a line from below the girl's ear to the underside of her jaw, prompting Cheryl to lift her gaze. No words were needed, Cheryl’s eyes held the answer to Toni’s question as they leant in, their lips parted slightly. The kiss was gentle, not lustful, they had all the time in the world for that, no, this was long overdue and so unanimously wouldn’t be wasted through brashness. Neither girl pulled back for a moment, their lips still, but the sensations they both felt were far from it, overwhelmed and reeling. Cheryl was the one to break the contact, her uncertainty getting the better of the typically unapologetic HBIC, but this was unchartered territory. When she dared open her eyes, the reassuring smile that graced the serpent’s face dissolved her worries instantaneously, so she pulled Toni back into a brief, bruising, but just as breath-taking kiss.

Veronica was forced to interrupt then when she heard footfall coming their way. She motioned the girls towards the door, “Cheryl, Toni, there are a bunch of nuns coming we have to go, come on.” She addressed Cheryl, to whom the guilt for not being able to bring comfort to the girl was still fresh in her mind and tried to convey something through her eyes, what that was she wasn’t quite sure. And then they were running.

Veronica took the lead, navigating the trio through corridors and finally to the stairwell through which herself and Toni had entered not fifteen minutes ago, a small part of her thankful they hadn’t had to be in there any longer. God help the girl, she thought, how she had survived a week in this place she did not know. What she was sure of though, was that they’d soon find out the toll the unknown horrors of this place had taken on the fragile girl sprinting for her life just a step behind her.

For once, and for one time only, Toni was grateful that Cheryl was so practiced in the art of shutting off her feelings and dealing with whatever the world threw at her with a strength not possessed by many. This, along with the adrenaline no doubt surging through the girls’ veins meant that they reached their escape tunnel in little time at all. Toni held Cheryl’s waist to steady the shaken girl onto the rungs of the metal ladder and as she began to climb, she chanced a glance backwards at the rapidly advancing nuns. To further guarantee Cheryl’s safety, the girl bought them some time and made the most of the rage she contained towards Penelope and the place she’d heartlessly sent her daughter and decidedly strode forwards. As she swung her first punch, Toni heard Cheryl call after her, evidently having reached the top and noticed her absence, but this only spurred Toni on further, knowing that her girl was finally safe from the despicable humans before her. Above her the three friends shared worried looks as they listened to grunts and the unmistakable sound of fists impacting flesh and Kevin peered down into the darkness hoping for a glimpse of pink hair. It didn’t take much for the small serpent to overpower the sisters, but with slightly bloodied knuckles she was satisfied nonetheless. She slammed the door closed with the heel of her boot and hissed as her hand grazed the cool steel when she rammed the crowbar through the bolt for good measure. The three Northsiders stared at the girl in shock but only for a second, because like every other revelation that night, it was something they’d have to unpack later. So, Cheryl reached for her hand and they set off running again but with the damage Toni had done, they probably didn’t need to.

Soon enough the fatigue caught up to the redhead and the uneven ground got the better of her as she stumbled, her weak frame relying on Toni’s smaller one for support. With Kevin’s car in sight, the pace of the foursome slowed, assured that they had made it a safe distance from a memory they wished to forget. Toni gripped Cheryl’s waist with her right arm and the girl’s left arm fell from her own shoulders as she guided them both into the back seat.

Cheryl curled herself into Toni, whimpering at the sting it caused hidden bruises, as the emotions quickly took over again and she hid her anguished face in her neck. Toni, of course, readily took the girl into her embrace, and wanted to feel proud of the of her willingness to take the comfort she so desperately needed, but she couldn’t because it meant she had to ask: What horrific trauma had Cheryl suffered to cause her to behave so unashamedly vulnerable in front of her peers? That was what Toni was concerned about most, and if the look on her face was anything to go by, Veronica was too.

Toni smoothed her hand up and down the back of the rough cotton cardigan repetitively in an attempt to calm the trembling girl in her arms. If she could take the pain away from the girl who had had more than her fair share, she would do so in a heartbeat. Toni pressed her cheek to the side of Cheryl’s forehead, “I’ve got you, sweetie, you’re okay, you’re safe. Just breathe with me, I’ve got you.” She spoke the words softly like before and gradually, after following her instructions, felt the girl’s body relax into her own.

It had already been agreed that they would be heading to Sunnyside Trailer Park, something that had been non-negotiable for Toni, the reason she gave her accomplices being that it was the furthest from Penelope’s clutches, not mentioning that in addition, selfishly, there was no way she’d be prepared to let Cheryl out of her sight after tonight.

Knowing that Cheryl needed reassurance and control more than anything right now, she set her selfish thoughts aside and quietly asked, “Hey, Cher, do you think you could look at me a second?” She gave the girl a moment to groggily lift her head from the crook of her neck, before taking her face in her hands. Wanting nothing more than to erase the worry from her eyes, red from crying, she asked, “Do you want to stay with me tonight? We’ll have Fangs’ trailer to ourselves. I promise you’ll be safe there. Or you can-…”

Toni was about to offer the Pembroke, on Veronica’s behalf when Cheryl hoarsely interrupted her. “No… I- I want to stay with you.” Like many other things, her voice didn’t carry its usual strength, but it was a decision all the same, and for that Toni was thankful that they clearly hadn’t been able to completely break the headstrong girl she was falling for. So at that, Toni nodded her head with a gentle smile, watching the relief wash over a pale complexion, relief that she wouldn’t be going anywhere near Thistlehouse tonight like, the vixen couldn’t deny, a small part of her had dreaded. Cheryl was ever so grateful for Toni’s unwavering ability to always know what she needed before even she did herself. The redhead was too drained, both physically and mentally, to even register let alone question that Toni hadn’t suggested a place of her own, and simply allowed herself to be pulled back into the security of the serpent’s chest for the remainder of the journey.

A whisper broke the weighted silence a few minutes later, the girl so still Toni had been convinced she’d passed out from the exhaustion, though her hand had never ceased its soothing strokes. The words were so quiet Toni wasn’t sure if she was meant to hear them. “Please don’t leave me.”

Her heart broke a little at that, “I’m not going anywhere, Bombshell.” Feeling the arms 'round her torso tighten, Toni repeated the words she’d left on Cheryl’s answerphone, because she really had meant them, now more than ever.

“I’m right here, right by your side, you’re not alone Cheryl, not ever again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah so ummm, lmk what you think and if you want anymore? if not that's cool we'll forget it ever happened... if you did enjoy it, expect toni topaz backstory, cheryl's trauma to be dealt with and not ignored and some high school relationship innocence along the way


	2. the second one

As the car pulled up to Fang’s trailer, she shared a worried look with Veronica for the trembling girl still clutched to her side. Cheryl’s face had remained hidden, buried in her neck and so Toni had found reassurance in feeling the slowing of shallow breaths, indicating that while the redhead was far from okay, at least the adrenaline was subsiding.

Toni couldn’t be more grateful for her serpent brothers right about now. Fangs had a trailer of his own, which he had gladly offered the moment Toni had explained everything in confidence. The boy had been in a situation similar to Cheryl’s himself once upon a time, though his parents hadn’t been nearly as cruel as to send him to conversion therapy. While Sweet Pea was understandably unable to offer his family’s crowded trailer, he had promised Toni he’d be on high alert all night and to call without hesitation, he was only two doors down after all.

…

When Kevin turned off the ignition, they collectively released a breath they hadn’t realised they’d been holding. They had made it, the extent of the damage it had inflicted on Cheryl was yet to be discovered, but they got her out and she was safe and that’s what mattered most. The residence of the sisters of quiet mercy was safely behind them, but its images were likely seared into their minds indefinitely.

“Hey, Cher…”

Toni adjusted her hold a little, turning towards the girl as she cupped her face with a gentle palm, careful not to startle her. Her gesture coaxed the redhead to lift her head, sore eyes fluttering open to meet Toni’s soft gaze.

“…we’re here. Do you think you can walk?” 

A flicker of defiance sparked behind bloodshot eyes. Any other time Toni would expect an affronted “Of course I can Toni, don’t be ridiculous,” with a ferociousness that she would try not to be enamoured by. The spark was gone in a second however, and Toni couldn’t be sure if she’d even seen it, but it gave her hope that the sisters of quiet mercy hadn’t quite managed to extinguish the fire that was Cheryl Blossom. The response she got was nothing more than a sheepish nod, she was unconvinced, but was not about to question the HBIC right now. Instead, she opened the car door with her right hand stepping out of it slowly, giving Cheryl the chance to shift her own weight off of Toni.

Facing her again, the serpent readily offered both hands, the redhead gingerly slipping her own palms into them. Toni supported her weight as much as possible, watching carefully as she stepped out on shaking legs for any sign of them buckling. Confident that she was stable, she snaked an arm around the trembling girl pulling her closer, providing comfort and warmth as well as reassurance to herself that this was real, _her_ girl was safely in her arms. She’d chastise herself for the term later but currently, if Toni’s head was unclear, she could only imagine the myriad of thoughts that must be plaguing the fragile mind next to her.

Meanwhile, both Kevin and Veronica had also exited the car and were standing back, observing the pair nervously. Cheryl’s head lolled onto a leather-clad shoulder, too exhausted to keep up appearances in front of her peers, whom, as delirious as she was, she barely registered anyway. It was Veronica who spoke up first, Toni was thankful she’d had the forethought to soften her usual tone, as she craned her neck awkwardly to see her over auburn hair.

“So, what now?” 

Toni knew she didn’t mean logistically, as per her own request, the three of them had gone over the plan repeatedly to ensure it was watertight. She also knew that she felt out of place, and rightly so, even if the pearls ‘round her neck didn’t make that glaringly obvious, it was in her stance too, she was taking a risk being here. Given the notoriety the names Blossom, Lodge and even Keller had in serpent territory, Toni thought it best that they didn’t loiter. If not for that, she was easily persuaded by the shivering body she held in her arms, who no doubt was feeling the bite of the cool air more so than they were, that they should part ways sooner rather than later.

“Go, I’ve got her. Thank you, for everything.”

“Are you sure?”

She appreciated the willingness of the New Yorker, whose fears for herself had been overridden by her concern for the redhead, but they both knew that this was the best option.

“I’m sure, Ronnie.” Giving her a look that communicated what they both were thinking, “I’ll stay in touch, I promise.”

She nodded her response, knowing that any unnecessary noise should be avoided, they had yet to cause a disturbance, but they weren’t about to push their luck. Both her and Kevin turned back to the car at that, hoping that Toni would honour her promise and also not hesitate to ask for their help if needed. Likewise, Veronica was determined to honour her own promise, the result of being left alone with her thoughts for the entirety of the car journey, silent if not for the whimpers of the promise’s subject. She vowed never to fail Cheryl Blossom again, and so, she put her trust in Toni, sure she wouldn’t make the same mistakes she had. As the car pulled away she caught a glimpse of the serpent’s expression in the rear-view mirror, as she tended to their broken survivor, she knew she’d made the right choice. 

…

Toni kept her right arm around Cheryl as she fumbled with the keys, cringing when she felt her flinch at the noise, cautious herself not to draw any unwanted attention. She grazed her thumb back and forth over the bottom of the girl’s ribs to soothe her, however she found herself frowning when she noticed how prominent the bones were, being able to feel them even through the cardigan’s scratchy cotton. Finally inserting the key into the rusted lock, twisting it with her fingers roughly in contrast to her other hand that remained gentle, resting on a curved waist. This simple act might be considered a perfect portrayal of Toni Topaz; rough and strong when she needed to be, no problem she wouldn’t face head on, and yet equally as gentle, with a care for those she values that knows no bounds. It was a rarity to display both at once, but Toni did it naturally and without recognition. Though they may not realise it, it was this irreplaceable quality, that those who held her dearest would prefer not to live without.

Once the door was open, she ushered Cheryl in first with an encouraging hand on the small of her back, switching on a lamp to her left at the same time, not wanting to overwhelm them both with the harsh ceiling fluorescents. Though the serpent had navigated the trailer in pitch darkness countless times before, the dim light allowed her to lead the redhead around a small coffee table gesturing for her to sit on the worn sofa.

Toni stopped for a second, the girl before her worlds apart from the one she’d first met, who could command any room she entered and sit, legs crossed, one high-heeled foot poised above the other, powerful yet nonchalant. The image was so vivid in her mind, painfully recent considering it was so opposite to what she saw now. Now, the girl shrunk in on herself, taking up as little space as possible, and Toni wouldn’t be surprised if she had gotten physically smaller also, having not forgotten the feel of the girl’s ribs under her fingertips. God, a week, a mere week in that hell-hole was it had taken to turn the girl she adored into a shell of herself – Toni could only begin to imagine the horrors they’d put her through, not a stranger to the effects of torture, even as a child she wasn’t completely oblivious to serpent ongoings.

Tangled red hair from a loosened pony tail cascaded down her back, while escaped strands framed her face delicately. Her head was hung, eyes trained on her hands as she wrung them in her lap, so Toni knelt in front of her in the hope that she might be convinced to lift her gaze a fraction to meet her own. When Cheryl didn’t, or couldn’t, meet her eyes, the serpent grew all the more concerned so decidedly but slowly (to give the redhead a chance to object) moved to place a hand over the pair in front of her, stilling their fidgeting. Toni heard her breath hitch and yet she still didn’t look up.

“Cheryl?” She spoke so softly that had they not been sitting in perfect silence Toni wouldn’t be sure Cheryl had heard her.

Watery eyes finally looked up, breaking Toni’s heart in the process, it must be taking a lot out of the girl not to let the tears fall. Toni couldn’t help but feel proud at the strength the cheerleader was exhibiting, though she needn’t be. Toni was the least judgmental person you’d ever meet and if Cheryl was concerned she might think her weak, Toni had more than enough proof on the contrary, and she admired the redhead for it.

“Cheryl, you don’t have to say anything you don’t want to, and I promise that this is a safe space for whatever you want to talk about… but I do need to know a few things, if you’re willing to tell me?”

The girl sniffled, nodding slightly and Toni thought she may have also heard a timid, “Okay”, though she could have imagined it.

“Are you hurt… physically, anywhere?”

She choked on a sob as she nodded again.

“Okay,” Toni laced their fingers together gently, “Shh, honey, it’s okay, do you think you could tell me where?”

Cheryl bit her lip as it quivered, and Toni worried she might break the skin. It was hard, and Toni was helping her more than she knew, but every wound, every ache had a memory latched onto it just as painful that she was trying her very best not to relive. She took strength from the love she saw but didn’t think she deserved from those encouraging but never expectant eyes, and from within herself though she wouldn’t believe it. She willed herself to focus on those deep brown eyes, forcing the visions to the back of her mind for now.

“Uhh, my…” she turned their hands over in her lap, revealing the raw angry skin that encircled her wrists. Toni tried not to react too harshly though it would take her few guesses as to how the girl had acquired the injury and let her continue.

“And here…” Reluctantly she removed her right hand from Toni’s calming hold, shaking as she tugged hopelessly at her sleeve. Seeing her frustration, the serpent carefully reached out to help her, not being able to withhold a gasp this time at the once pale forearm now mottled with purple bruising.

A tear rolled over the apple of a flushed cheek but didn’t make it to her jaw before Toni’s thumb brushed it away with a featherlight touch.

“I’m so sorry Cher, I’m gonna try to help okay? Does anything else hurt?”

A heavy sob broke through previously pursed lips, because the answer was yes, “Everything T-Toni, I- just, everything aches… because… ‘cause they made m-me…,”

“Shh sweetie, you don’t have to tell me right now okay, not if you don’t want to, not if it’s too much, not ever. You never have to do anything you don’t want to, not here, not with me.” Toni cradled her face firmly with both hands to convey her sincerity.

The sobs broke out again, and Toni worried she’d said something wrong, but this time they were out of disbelief. Disbelief that someone could be so understanding and towards her of all people. Disbelief that someone could care about her this much and she didn’t deserve it, Cheryl was so sure that she didn’t.

But it was never even a question for Toni Topaz; she deserved it and so much more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apologies for the wait, i promise it won't be as long before the next one!  
> feedback is always welcome so lmk what you thought :)
> 
> oh and a big thank you to @sensationallyo1 (on twitter) for letting me send her everything and being the most supportive person ever :)


	3. the third one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw/ panic attack, mentions of suicide
> 
> i'm not sure if i'm happy with this chapter, i genuinely wasn't even sure that i'd be updating at all but let me know what you think i guess?

Toni wished she could just hold the redhead and somehow make everything okay again, if only for a moment. However, she was also experienced enough to know that it wasn’t wise to leave the injuries as they were any longer than they already had been. With Cheryl so tense, cold and clearly aching she figured a shower the best idea for right now, relieved it delayed the necessary first aid that the girl would inevitably hate, as would Toni herself.

“Hey,” she said softly, once Cheryl’s breathing had finally evened out, “How does a shower sound? Hopefully, it’ll help warm you up and we need to get those clean.” She gestured towards the raw aggravated skin an inch away from where she held pale trembling hands in her own.

“Okay,” Cheryl muttered as she hiccupped, her watery eyes meeting Toni’s, who could still see the fear behind them.

The vixen didn’t make a move to get up though, so she gave her a moment while she ran over a list of things they’d need: towel, clothes, first aid and perhaps she might get some food in the girl later, but she wouldn’t bet on it. One thing at a time.

A deep breath redirected her attention back to Cheryl who appeared to have composed herself a little more, shifting in her seat. Careful to avoid the injuries, that she knew of, Toni moved to stand next to her, supporting an elbow with each palm to help the redhead to her feet. Cheryl’s legs felt weak, a painful reflection of her own resolve, but they managed to manoeuvre themselves to the bathroom without her knees buckling. That was unanimously taken as a win by both girls, now what next?

Toni could tell the sniffling girl wasn’t up to communicating what she needed, oblivious to Cheryl’s realisation that the serpent somehow always seemed to know anyway. It, of course, wasn’t like Toni to shy away though, so she’d figure it out.

“Ummm, I’ll get towels and stuff out for you? Before you get in…” She asked uncertainly.

“Please.” The redhead mumbled with a nod.

Satisfied with the mutual decision, Toni wrapped an arm around a too narrow waist. She felt the thorax above her hand expand with a shaky inhale before a breath of relief, one that she hoped indicated that their closeness had brought some comfort to the ever-trembling girl, as she settled her onto the toilet lid. One thing at a time.

Not wanting to leave the timid cheerleader any longer than necessary, she grabbed two clean towels as well as a washcloth, draping them over the sink for now.

Toni had noticed that two dark brown eyes had been following her every move so assumed she needn’t point out the towels but explained, “There are a few soaps and stuff in the shower, use whatever you need, I can’t speak for their quality but it’s better than nothing right?” She noted sheepishly.

Cheryl’s throat was scratchy, not to mention the lump that sat at the back of it, the kind you swallow past every few seconds just to keep the tears at bay. But she couldn’t bear the thought that kind, selfless, Toni Topaz thought she was being anything less than hospitable simply because she knew Cheryl was used to ‘the good life’ if you could even call it that. It certainly wasn’t the time to acknowledge it, and she herself was in no state of mind to even notice it, but what a way Cheryl Blossom had come from her nurtured prejudices.

“Of course, TT. You don’t know how grateful I am, truly.” It was all she could manage to stutter out, but it earned a relieved sigh and closed-lipped smile from the darker-skinned girl so she supposed it would do for now. Little did Cheryl know, it was the use of her nickname that had caused the slight smile, Toni could see that her girl was still in there, scared and hiding but there.

Toni moved to turn the shower on, knowing it would need a minute to warm up though she thanked the heavens that Fangs at least had decent water pressure in his trailer, the same couldn’t be said for most. With nothing else to fuss over, she turned back to Cheryl, finding the girl already gazing back at her hesitantly.

“So, it should warm up in a sec, and changing the temperature is easy enough.” She smiled gingerly, whether to reassure herself or her company she wasn’t sure. “Do… do you need any help?” Toni was no stranger to caring for people, when you grow up on the southside, you grow up ten times faster.

Serpent sexism is forgone, and even the boys find themselves playing doctor once in a while, though it’s not playing, not like the kids on the northside, innocently sneaking band-aids to patch up their teddy bears. No, you couldn’t count the number of children who’d dropped out of school to care for a sick relative, though that’s all they were, children. You grow up ten times faster on the southside.

But this felt different, this was Cheryl, fragile at the best of times, whether she’d admit it or not, because more importantly, Cheryl was proud. And Toni could tell, looking into those eyes how desperate the girl was to appear strong as always, and she feared that it might even be in an effort not to disappoint her, ever kind, selfless and strong, Toni Topaz. If only Cheryl had the serpent figured out in the same way, then she’d know that at the mention of the redhead, the word ‘disappointment’ would never cross the mind of Toni Topaz. Sickeningly, the same couldn’t be said for her own mother.

 

Dutiful to Toni’s assumptions, the word ‘no’ was uttered from full lips. Turning her back, two combat boots moved towards the door before, “I’ll be okay.” Toni knew well enough that she wasn’t only referring to the shower, heard the doubt and questioning behind the words despite their guise.

She turned her head back, regarding the girl who had once again shrunk in on herself and wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Cher,” eyelashes weighted with unshed tears fluttered open, “Of course you will, and I’ll be here even when you’re not.” She hoped her sincerity was translated in her eyes, but it was up to Cheryl to believe it.

She closed the door behind her.

 

She wanted to give Cheryl privacy, but flashes of the bruises and scrapes littered her mind, so she allowed herself to sit, slumped back against the door, listening. Toni told herself that the fact that all she’d heard in the last few minutes was running water, but the white noise became ironically torturous.

 

Inside, Cheryl wasn’t having much better luck.

Whist painful, removing her cardigan had been relatively easy, the dress, however. She scoffed, realising that she was sickeningly grateful for the ghastly decision to clothe the girls in button-front dresses, meaning she wouldn’t need to raise her arms above her head. What it did mean was the frustrating task of unbuttoning at least 6 of the white disks with trembling, aching fingers, before the dress finally fell from her feeble frame, pooling at her muddied feet. Feet clad in off-white (though who could tell at this point) plimsolls, true to herself the Blossom rolled her eyes, never had she thought in her turmoiled life that undressing could rear itself one of her greatest challenges. The angry, crescent shaped indents that adorned her shoulders burned in anticipation, before she’d even made a move. Slowly bending, reaching towards the floor, the crescents felt they were being ripped open into full moons. Her left side screamed in agony as bruised flesh rippled against her ribcage with the movement, willing herself not to flashback to when she’d acquired the injury.

Conscious of running out of hot water though, the redhead painstakingly managed to undress in just a few minutes.

 

Ten minutes. She’d give her ten minutes, then she’d check, that seemed reasonable right? Glancing at the clock, “Six more minutes,” she sighed. The last four had felt like an eternity, she needed to stop fretting, get things ready for when Cheryl was finished, to keep herself busy if anything.

The kitchen counter was bare, aside for a toaster and the microwave, Fangs must have cleaned, bless that boy’s heart. Figuring it not the worst idea, she slid two slices of bread into the toaster for later before grabbing the first aid box from the cupboard above it. There was no need to mention the stool she’d had to step on to do so, of course.

Back in the direction of the bathroom, the serpent stopped at the coffee table, laying out the supplies she’d need: wound dressing, bandages and antiseptic. She then crossed past the bathroom door, not denying herself a pause to listen and a glance at the clock, three more minutes. As promised the bedroom was made up already, Toni only grabbed two more blankets pre-emptively as Cheryl had felt abnormally cold, and, well, to keep herself busy. Little did she know that before those three minutes were up, a guttural sob would interrupt the droning downpour of the shower.

 

Toni had to stop herself from barging into the room like she had into that god-awful excuse of a cinema, knocking twice, “Cher?” She called. All she got in response was more choked sobs, making the decision for her. Tentatively turning the stiff handle, she pushed the door open coming face to face with a fog of steam. Like the rest of the trailer, the bathroom’s layout was just as familiar to the serpent, so she rushed to the source without hesitation, despite the visibility.

Her heart broke at what she saw but ever level-headed, she didn’t forget her current priority – there was no way a comfortably hot shower could produce that much steam. Reaching over the crumpled redhead, she hissed as the scolding waterfall ricocheted off her forearm as she deftly turned the shower off.

Toni’s gaze flickered down then, following strands of darkened red hair that clung to the hunched back, spine worryingly prominent. Cheryl’s face was buried in her knees as Toni’s eyes raked over the expanse of exposed skin, every pale inch now blotched and inflamed – she had been right about the shower. Oh, Cheryl.

Cheryl had been silent ever since she’d entered the bathroom, so it startled the serpent when the redhead spoke without prompting. Her voice was muffled, chin still tucked to her chest, and shaken but the desperation was unmistakable. “I just wanted it to go away, Toni, but I couldn’t get rid of it, I can’t… I ca-,” she started to hyperventilate.

Already having anticipated this, Toni sprang into action. Crouching in front of the trembling girl, “Cher, Cheryl, look at me, please.” Her voice was firm as she tried to keep the urgency out of her tone. Thankfully her plea worked after a beat, forehead lifting from bony knees, Toni knew the loss-of-control feeling all too well and hoped the eye contact would give the girl something to latch onto. Bloodshot eyes bore into her own expectantly as the mouth below them sucked in short ragged breaths. Toni wouldn’t deny that she was also panicking slightly but she acted on an empathetic instinct, what would she need to hear?

“Cheryl, you’re safe, you’re out of there and I’ll help… I’ll help you get rid of whatever it is, okay?”

The girl looked at her disbelievingly, still spluttering, her erratic breathing worsened. Shit, Toni, think.

“Cheryl, can I touch you, I won’t hurt you, I promise.” Cheryl was shaking so violently now that the nod was barely perceptible, but Toni saw it. As if approaching an unfamiliar animal, Toni made sure her actions were slow and obvious, reaching to rest her palms on her shoulders for now. The comforting weight steadied the redhead somewhat, enough for her to take in Toni’s next words.

“It feels like you can’t breathe doesn’t it?” Rhetorical, “I know, but Cheryl, you have to trust me on this, you can, there’s nothing stopping you. We can make the feeling go away, we'll make it go away.”

Toni was doing the best she could, what she didn’t know was that the breathlessness for Cheryl wasn’t just that. It triggered a flashback to that day, last winter, Sweetwater River, when there really was something stopping her, when she really couldn’t breathe. And now… she was reliving it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feedback is much appreciated :)
> 
> thanks for reading, sorry for being a shit


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